Hybrid tea rose cv. Arogresh

ABSTRACT

A new hybrid tea rose of the tall bush type, cultivated for garden decoration. The new cultivar bears unusually colored yellow-green flowers with light touches of soft pink. Its blossoms are extremely long-lived in the garden, often lasting over seven days. The yellow-green flower coloration intensifies as the blossoms age on the bush. Flowers are produced on long, cutting-length stems. The plant bears an abundance of dark green, semi-glossy leathery foliage and displays an above-average resistance to mildew, rust and blackspot.

This invention relates to a new variety of hybrid tea rose cv. Arogresh.The plant is an outdoor seedling of the tall bush type, cultivated forgarden decoration. The plant's hardiness is as yet untested. It wasfirst discovered and asexually reproduced by Jack E. Christensen inOntario, Calif., having as its seed parent White Masterpiece (U.S. PlantPat. No. 2,998), and as its pollen parent Queen Elizabeth (U.S. PlantPat. No. 1,259).

The new rose cv. Arogresh is particularly distinguishable from othercommercialized rose cultivars by the following combination ofcharacteristics: the unusual coloration of its flowers, yellow-greenwith light touches of soft pink; the extremely long life--often morethan seven days--of its flowers in the garden; the intensifying of itsyellow-green flower coloration as the blossoms age on the bush; theplant's inability to set hips, which insures continual flower productionunder Ontario, Calif. growing conditions during the blooming periodwithout requiring the removal of dead blooms; its abundant, dark green,semi-glossy leathery foliage; and its long cutting stems and uprightgrowth. The new variety holds its distinguishing characteristics throughsucceeding propagations by budding.

The new rose cultivar Arogresh may be distinguished from its seedparent, White Masterpiece (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,998), by the followingcombination of characteristics: White Masterpiece produces flowers of arelatively uniform white coloration, whereas the new cultivar producesflowers of an unusual yellow-green and pink combination, essentially asdescribed and illustrated herein. Arogresh produces flowers of 31/2 to 4inches in diameter, whereas the seed parent produces significantlylarger blooms of 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Whereas White Masterpieceproduces a mature bush of medium-low height, the new rose produces asignificantly taller mature bush under Ontario, Calif. growingconditions.

Arogresh may be distinguished from its pollen parent, Queen Elizabeth(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,259), by the following combination ofcharacteristics: Queen Elizabeth produces flowers of a relativelyuniform pink coloration, whereas the new cultivar produces flowers witha coloration of yellow-green and pink, essentially as described andillustrated herein. Arogresh produces blooms with 30 to 35 petals,whereas the pollen parent produces blooms of significantly heavierpetalage (37 to 40 petals). Queen Elizabeth will readily set hips underOntario, Calif. growing conditions, whereas the new rose will not sethips under similar conditions.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the new variety in color as grownin Ontario, Calif., and shows the flowering thereof from bud to fullbloom.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color as used in common speech is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based on The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

The descriptive matter which follows pertains to roses grown in Ontario,Calif. and is believed to apply to similar conditions of soil andclimate elsewhere.

FLOWER

The new variety sometimes bears its flowers singly, sometimes three tofour to a stem, in irregular clusters on strong stems that are medium tolong in length for the class. Outdoors, flowers are produced in abundantquantities and nearly continuously throughout the growing season. Theflowers have a slight tea fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is of average length for the class, of average to heavycaliper, strong, erect, and stiff. It is moderately smooth with numerousstipitate glands and few small prickles. The peduncle is betweenYellow-Green 144A and Green 137B in color.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is medium to large in size for theclass, medium to long in length, and pointed to ovoid in form. There arefew stipitate glands on the surface of the bud. There are usuallyslender, entire foliaceous parts present which extend beyond the tip ofthe bud a distance equal to one quarter or more of the length of thebud.

As the calyx breaks, bud color is between Yellow-Green 144D andGreyed-Yellow 160C; petal tips are sometimes speckled with near Red 39A.The inner surface of the sepals has a fine, woolly tomentum; margins arelined with stipitate glands and hairs.

As the first petal opens, the bud is average in size for the class,medium to long in length, and pointed to ovoid in form. On their outsidesurface, the petals display a color between Yellow-Green 145C andGreyed-Yellow 160C; petal edges are lightly blushed with between Red 36Aand Red 36C. The inner surface of the petals is the same color as theoutside surface with a broader band of blushing on the petal edges. Thebud opens up well and is not prevented from opening by cold, hot, wet,or dry weather.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom is average in size for the class, from 31/2to 4 inches in diameter. The petalage is double with petals arrangedregularly; petals number from 30 to 35, and there may be 1 to 4petaloids present. Bloom form when half open is moderately high-centeredto cupped, with petals moderately spiraled to cupped and with petaledges somewhat reflexed outward. When fully open, the bloom ismoderately cupped in form, with petals more cupped and with petal edgessomewhat flat to slightly undulated and reflexed outward.

Petals are of moderately heavy substance and medium thickness, slightlysatiny to velvety inside and slightly shiny outside. Outside petals arenearly round with flat to rounded apices and are sometimes scalloped.Intermediate petals are broadly obovate with rounded to sometimesnotched apices. The inside petals are obovate with rounded apices; theseare sometimes notched. Colors of all petals may be modified by beingbordered or margined or blotched or shaded or washed or tinted withother colors.

The following paragraph describes the color values observed in a newlyopened flower from a plant of the new variety grown outdoors in Ontario,Calif. during the month of October.

The outside surface of the outside, intermediate and inside petals has acoloration between Yellow-Green 145C and Greyed-Yellow 160C, with petaledges very lightly bordered with between Red 36A and Red 36C. The insidesurface of the outside petals has the same coloration as the outsidesurface of the outside petals. The inside surface of the intermediateand inner petals is the same color as the outside surface of the outsidepetals with the addition of a broader band of bordering at the petaledges.

The following paragraph describes the color values observed in a flowerthat had been open for three days on a plant grown outdoors in Ontario,Calif. during the month of October.

The outside surface of the outside and inside petals and the insidesurface of the outside petals have a color between Yellow-Green 145B andGreyed-Yellow 160C. The inside surface of the inside petals has the samecoloration as the outside surface of the outside petals, except that thepetal edges on the inside surface of the inside petals are sometimesvery lightly bordered with near Red 36D.

The general color effect of a newly opened flower is betweenYellow-Green 145C and Greyed-Yellow 160C, with petal edges bordered withbetween Red 36A and Red 36C toward the center of the flower. The generalcolor effect of a flower that has been open three days is betweenYellow-Green 145B and Greyed-Yellow 160C.

Petals usually persist and are not particularly affected in this respectby cold, hot, wet, or dry weather. Flowers last 5 or more days on thebush in the garden during the month of October. Flowers cut from plantsgrown outdoors in the month of October will last from 6 to 7 days atliving-room temperatures.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are few to average in number and are arranged regularly aboutthe pistils. Filaments are short to medium in length and most haveanthers; the anthers are of medium size, and all open approximately atonce. Anther color is near Yellow 8C when immature; color of the matureanthers is near Greyed-Orange 165A. Pollen is somewhat sparse and has acolor near Yellow 8D.

There are many pistils (approximately 70). Styles are uneven, very shortto average in length, of average caliper and somewhat loosely bunched.Stigma color is near Green-Yellow 1D.

This variety does not normally set hips under Ontario, Calif. growingconditions.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves usually comprise from 3 to 5 leaflets and are bornein abundant amounts. Leaves are medium to large in size for the classand are very heavy to somewhat leathery and semi-glossy. Leaflets arenearly oval in shape with acute apices and round bases; their marginsare simply serrate.

The color of the upper surface of the mature foliage is betweenYellow-Green 147A and Green 139A; the under surface is betweenYellow-Green 147C and Green 136C. The color of the upper surface of theyoung foliage is the same as the color of the upper surface of themature foliage, washed with between Greyed-Purple 187A and Greyed-Purple183A. The under surface of the young foliage is the same color as theunder surface of the mature foliage, washed with between Greyed-Purple187B and Greyed-Purple 183B.

The rachis is average in size to heavy; its upper side is grooved withsome stipitate glands on the edges. The underside of the rachis ismoderately smooth and bears stipitate glands.

Stipules are moderately long, of narrow to medium width, and have shortpoints turning out at an angle of less than 45°.

The plant displays a more-than-average resistance to mildew, rust andblackspot as compared to other cultivars now in commerce grown undercomparable conditions at Ontario, Calif.

GROWTH

Plants of the new variety are much-branched, bushy, tall and upright.Canes are medium to heavy in caliper for the class, and plant growth ismoderately vigorous.

The main stems are between Yellow-Green 146D and Green 138B in color.They bear several large prickles of medium length for the class whichare almost straight, hooked slightly downward, with moderately long,broad bases. Large prickle color is near Greyed-Orange 165A. There areno small prickles and no hairs.

Branches are between Yellow-Green 146B and Green 137B in color. Theybear several large prickles of medium length for the class which arealmost straight, hooked slightly downward, with moderately long, broadbases. Large prickle color is near Greyed-Orange 166C. There are nosmall prickles and no hairs.

New shoots have the same color as the branches, washed lightly withbetween Greyed-Purple 187A and Greyed-Purple 183A. The new shoots bearseveral large prickles of medium length for the class which are almoststraight, hooked slightly downward, with moderately long, broad bases.Large prickle color is near Greyed Purple 183C. There are no smallprickles and no hairs.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the hybrid teaclass, essentially as described and illustrated herein, beingparticularly characterized by the unusual coloration of its flowers,yellow-green with light touches of soft pink; the extremely longlife--often more than seven days--of its flowers in the garden; theintensifying of its yellow-green flower coloration as the blossoms ageon the bush; the plant's inability to set hips, which insures continualflower production under Ontario, Calif. growing conditions during theblooming period without requiring the removal of dead blooms; itsabundant, dark green, semi-glossy leathery foliage; and its long cuttingstems and upright growth.